Pandorum
Among the non-magical population, these creatures are considered a sign of disaster to come. Unlike other magical creatures that may portend hard times for an entire community, the sight of a pandorum is taken as a sign that something will befall a particular person, and the sight of one creates anxiety about who the victim may be and what sort of harm may come to them. The origin of this terror is the belief that only evil magi can summon these creatures, and do so in order to take revenge or cause harm to a person they dislike. At the Keep, the rumors are more complex, and state that evil magi strike a bargain with their pandorum on the night these creatures gain the power of speech. The bargain goes two ways—for one night, the pandorum will do whatever the magi says. One night after that, the pandorum will do whatever it wants, and will take the powers of the mage for that night to do so. The stick carried by the females is suspected to be used as a wand when the creature takes its magi’s magic on the one night a year they are able to carry out their own wishes. Legends and old songs tell tales of dark magi in the past causing havoc during long winter nights through bargains struck with these creatures. Defenders of pandorum, however, claim that there are also stories told of these creatures where the pandorum fixes whatever damage it caused at the command of the mage on the night it has the most freedom. Whether the rumors are true or not, pandorum are regarded with wariness in the Keep by all but the bravest magi. Egg This egg has two small, tufted tails. Hatchling These hatchlings are small and wiry, with powerful muscles and two prehensile tails. They can contort their bodies into nearly any shape, but that is not the most fascinating thing about them. Pandorum eggs only come to magi who are able to summon them with fell magics, and the hatchling will be devoted only to their mage, while ignoring anyone else. It is not a devotion borne of caring, however, but one that appears to be related to a bargain struck between the hatchling and mage in thanks for the hatchling's existence. As a summoned creature, this isn’t considered unusual, but most magi are wary of magi who have a pandorum hatchling. Given the rumors about these creatures, and the magic required to summon them, magi with such a creature are typically shown fearful respect. Adult Pandorum are known for their intelligence, and are among the few species that seem to fully understand human speech. In addition, they are adept tool users, especially the females. Whenever their mage studies or practices magic, pandorum will always be nearby, and some suspect they pick up knowledge about magic and theory by simply observing it. Pandorum become more active when the days grow shorter, showing signs of increasing intelligence, and it is said that on the longest night of the year after they reach adulthood, they will gain the power of speech. Once this happens, the rumors state they will strike a bargain with their mage. Rumors swirl about these creatures, but the magi who own them have never come forward about their veracity. The most chilling rumor about these mysterious creatures is that they erase any memory of their bargain during their night of freedom, which is why so much about them is still unknown and steeped in uncertainty and superstition. Breeding Additional Information *No. 539 *Obtained from the Dark Shop for 5,000 during Halloween 2014 *Released: October 25th, 2014. *Sprites: Tekla *Descriptions: Raneth *Gender Dimorphism: **Males have gold markings **Females have silver markings and carry a stick. Category:2014 Creatures Category:Limited Category:Halloween Category:Artist: Tekla Category:Gender Dimorphism